Trend watching consists of paying close attention to new or unexpected developments in the work team's environment and speculating about how they might affect people's career options. Look at five distinct levels of systems: industries, professions, organizations, jobs, and individuals.
Unfortunately, we do not properly track the emerging trends in our own area of influence, much less others. That would suggest that we will not recognize critical changes in our industry until they have reached the point where the organization is forced to respond to them.
Same can be said for one's advancement. Advancing in one company will no longer be the norm as there is a trend toward smaller organizations with flatter structures, so the trend will be for one to grow within one's profession. That growth comes through active involvement through a variety of forums, including conferences, journals and other publications, computer bulletin boards, and professional associations.
Still, the trend to watch with regard to work is where the opportunities for certain types of learning are likely to become available.
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